We consider the problem of record linkage in the situation where we have only non-unique identifiers, like names, sex, race etc., as common identifiers in databases to be linked. For such situations much work on probabilistic methods of record linkage can be found in the statistical literature. However, although many groups undoubtedly still use deterministic procedures, not much literature is available on deterministic strategies. Furthermore, there appears to exist almost no documentation on the comparison of results for the two strategies. In this work we compare a stepwise deterministic linkage strategy with a probabilistic strategy, as implemented in AUTOMATCH, for a situation in which the truth is known. The comparison was carried out on a linkage between medical records from the Regional Perinatal Intensive Care Centers database and educational records from the Florida Department of Education. Social security numbers, available in both databases, were used to decide the true status of each record pair after matching. Match rates and error rates for the two strategies are compared and a discussion of their similarities and differences, strengths and weaknesses is presented.

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Educational disabilities of NICU graduates are influenced differently by perinatal and sociodemographic variables. Researchers must take into account both sets of these variables to ascertain the long-term risk of educational disability for NICU graduates. Birth weight alone should not be used to assess NICU morbidity outcomes.

Biomarkers assessing cardiovascular function can encompass a wide range of biochemical or physiological measurements. Medical tests that measure biomarkers are typically evaluated for measurement validation and clinical performance in the context of their intended use. General statistical principles for the evaluation of medical tests are discussed in this paper in the context of heart failure. Statistical aspects of study design and analysis to be considered while assessing the quality of measurements and the clinical performance of tests are highlighted. A discussion of statistical considerations for specific clinical uses is also provided. The remarks in this paper mainly focus on methods and considerations for statistical evaluation of medical tests from the perspective of bias and precision. With such an evaluation of performance, healthcare professionals could have information that leads to a better understanding on the strengths and limitations of tests related to heart failure.

Adaptive designs have generated great interest in the clinical trial community as a result of their versatility and efficiency. Recently, the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) surveyed all adaptive design applications submitted between 2007 and May 2013 for regulatory review. In this paper, we discuss the overall results and findings that emerged from an in-depth examination of the submissions. We summarize the current status of adaptive designs used in medical device studies. We also identify some of the lessons learned and common pitfalls that we encountered in our review of the designs.